


Down to the Wire

by Sauchiha



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendship, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:14:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26541220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sauchiha/pseuds/Sauchiha
Summary: AU Assassin Fic [SasuSaku] This was the single most important assignment to The Organization. He could only hope she would pull her weight. The lives of too many people depended on it. [His] life depended on it. Surely the pink headed girl could manage.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters within this fanfic.

**Ch 1: Target Acquired**

She stole a glance at him through her pale lashes. He had been staring out the moonlit window for exactly 6 hours and 29 minutes, blinking only 14 times. The rosette watched as a bead of sweat tore down her captain's ghostly pale forehead. The droplet continued its slow descent toward his arched brow, pooling at the inner crease of his eyes. Onyx eyes held fast on their target. He could not afford to blink. There wasn't going to be another chance.

"Sakura." His commanding voice was scarcely louder than a whisper. His gaze never once leaving his target.

She could pick out that voice from a crowd of a thousand people. She had only heard him speak twice before this, but there was nothing quite like it. Was it weird that one voice could hold so much...control over someone...so quickly?

"You're not _focused_." he bit out. Immediately, she tore her gaze away from his crouched form. She closed her eyes. Breathing in deeply, Sakura brought the scope up to eye level. Her left index finger hovered nervously near the trigger.

" _Pay attention Sakura. Focus_." she willed herself quietly. Her shallow breaths were escaping too quickly, and her steady heartbeat began its frantic gallop. She was sure he could hear it, even with the 6 meter distance between their window sills. Her eyes darted rapidly between both their targets.

The pair remained crouched and unmoving for exactly 6 hours and 31 minutes. She sucked in dry heaps of air in hopes of calming her nerves-while trying and failing miserably to moisten her cracked lips. The winter was unforgiving. Her joints ached with even the tiniest of movements. Her black trench coat provided much needed warmth, and the thermal liner kept her core heated. But, her stiff, black combat boots had already been biting into the tops of her toes effectively numbing them. It was also hard to maintain focus when the circulation to her legs had left her nearly an hour ago.

"Sakura. Now!" his fierce command rang in her ears. She felt her heart stop, and the world began to play in slow motion. It took her 0.4 seconds to bring the scope back up to her eye. 0.2 seconds to adjust the zoom, 0.3 seconds to place her finger on the trigger, and in the last fraction of a second, through the scope of her rifle, emerald met crimson.

All breath left her as she remained frozen in fear. It was as though time itself had stopped. In less than 1 second, they had failed.

_She_ had failed.

* * *

"You're not _focused_." he bit out. Sasuke wished his subordinate would come to her senses. Now was not the time to be daydreaming. The bead of sweat made its way to the outer corner of his lip, before settling in the dip of his chin. He silently cursed, wanting nothing more than to wipe the salty droplet away. But, years of training taught him better. All it took was _one_ distraction, _one_ miscalculation, _one_ misstep to ruin _everything_.

He could hear her frenzied heartbeat from his spot at the large glass window. The squeak of her leather combat boots giving way to her restlessness. Her legs must be numb from lack of circulation. The duo had been at it for over 6 hours, only speaking twice. He was impressed she managed to remain crouched in one position for so long.

Apparently, this was her first assignment _ever_ , and he vaguely remembered being briefed on her qualifications. The two had merely 25 seconds to spare with introductions back at HQ, before being shoved off into the helicopter. Their Director had no choice but to add her to the roster after his usual partner, Naruto, failed to show the morning of The Assignment. Needless to say, something was up, but there just wasn't enough time to ask questions. Naruto _always_ showed up. So although last minute,there was no time to argue for someone with more experience. The Director was never to be questioned. Ever. This was _the_ single most important assignment to The Organization. He could only hope she would pull her weight. The lives of too many people depended on it. _His_ life depended on it. Surely the pink headed girl could manage.

Just then, both their targets had aligned. This was it. In one moment, he could see it: the _years_ he'd spent chasing every damned lead, night after night laying numbly in bed drowned in a tortured slumber, and the inferno of hatred that fanned his _hunger_ for revenge against a certain _someone._

"Sakura. Now!" With deadly accuracy, it took him 0.3 seconds to pull the trigger on his target. 0.5 seconds to identify Sakura's target, and 0.2 seconds to realize she had been 0.1 second too late.

Onyx met confused Emerald, and his world went black.

**Authors Note:**

Hello! This is my first story EVER and I am STOKED to be posting this. I've also posted this story on ff under "Kaikuro" since hearing many great things about this site, so I've decided to give it a whirl! I've been reading fics for nearly a decade now (no shame), and it has inspired me to write something myself. So...here it is. My favorite pairing EVER. :) Let me know what you think so far~


	2. Replacement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's take things back a bit...

**Authors Note:** This fic uses military time.

Disclaimer: I do not not own any of the characters in this story.

**Ch 2: Replacement**

_8 hours earlier. Haruno Residence._

_Beep beep beep_

_Beep beep beep_

_Beep beep beep_

A muffled groan left the pinkette's lips as she swiped her mobile device off her nightstand. Squinting with one eye open and one closed, Sakura stifled another groan as her screen's harsh light sent a crippling bolt of pain through her optic nerves. The migraine she'd been fighting for 3 days roared to life. She palmed her eyes viciously, blinking rapidly to overcome her blurred vision.

" _03:00. My Office. Floor 102. Assignment: Kumo. "_ it read.

The fact that The Director had _personally_ messaged her meant things were bad. Bad enough to send an Assassin in Training on some last minute assignment to Kumo.

Emerald eyes darted to the clock. 02:47.

Her breath caught. No one had showed up late for an assignment and lived to see another day-or so she heard.

In a flash, the pink headed girl had swung her legs over her too large bed. She cursed as her bare feet met with cold concrete. In 2 seconds, she had sprinted into her en suite bathroom, and in 4 seconds she had gargled mouthwash and was back in her bedroom.

"Katsuyu. Weather Report for Kumo." she barked. In an instant, a see through hologram of her animated slug companion, whirred to life in her palm. Katsuyu, in all her blue and white glory, stood 3 inches tall, and was programmed to follow Sakura's every order. The slug was a gift from The Director, and although Katsuyu was merely a hologram, Sakura simply _adored_ her.

"44 degrees fahrenheit. Humidity 3 percent. Precipitation 0 percent. Visibility; fair. A blizzard is expected late tomorrow morning, M'lady." Katsuyu had morphed into a 3D hologram of Kumo, a friendly, neighboring city 309 miles northeast of Konoha. The hologram flickered between the current weather conditions, and 7 day forecast.

Sakura glanced hurriedly at Katsuyu's screen noting the harsh weather ahead-she grabbed her thick, black knee length trenchcoat, throwing it over her black wool turtleneck top and black cargo pants.

_Beep beep beep_

"Shit." she mumbled. Time was up.

She tossed her pastel pink, shoulder length locks into a low ponytail-not bothering to catch the flyaways. She quickly made for the front door, intent on getting the _hell_ out, when a quick glance in the hallway mirror had her reeling.

Dried, cracked mascara, had settled into the purple bags under her eyes-the purple violently contrasting against patchy, blue glitter eyeshadow.

_Beep beep beep_

She closed her eyes. Exhaling slowly.

Sakura Haruno prided herself on her promptness. She had never, in her 24 years of living, been late to _anything_. With that last thought, her eyes snapped open-determination showing through.

"Show time. _"_

* * *

_HQ: 02:45. The Directors Office_

Tsunade sat, drumming her ruby red nails impatiently on her white marble desk—amber eyes burning holes into her computer screen. She was _livid_.

"Uchiha. We've just received confirmation that your partner has yet to return to his apartment after last night's assignment. His GPS shows no known location. Intel is working immediately to access the flight manifest to confirm his re-entry into Konoha last night."

A heavy silence filled the office, with neither one _daring_ to believe the worst had happened. Naruto Uzumaki was The Organization's second best assassin. His assignment success rate was 96 percent, with the Uchiha outperforming him at 97. Together, the pair was unstoppable.

The raven haired operative stood tense, and disbelieving, but his outer facade betrayed calm indifference. His partner's assignment was only C-Rank. Failure was...out of the question. His thoughts were disrupted by a loud crack. He turned to see Tsunade removing her fist from the center of her 3 meter long, _marble_ desk.

Sasuke watched as she stood from her white leather chair, and took post by her glass window, noting the _eleven,_ half _-_ empty, and poorly concealed bottles of wine that sat behind the white vertical blinds.

Her office window had the best view of the city. From the 102nd floor, she gazed thoughtfully at the sky above. Early mornings like these were the most peaceful. The midnight blue sky was speckled heavily with stars, closely rivaling the city lights below. Konoha never slept.

A pained sigh escaped her lips. Today was The Organization's first, and hopefully last, S-Rank assignment. Naruto and Sasuke had prepared for 8 months, and in an instant, the assignment had been thrown into limbo. The two were set to depart for Kumo in 15 minutes. _Why_ she'd only been notified _15_ minutes before their departure, made no sense, and only served to piss off the already seething woman. She'd have to find out which fool downstairs had failed _miserably_ to report the operatives mandatory, pre departure, check in.

Tsunade's red nails dug painfully into her palms, drawing the tiniest amount of blood. She stood, struggling to desperately devise a last minute plan of action. It's what she did. _Plan._ Every. Single. Day. For the past 8 years she did nothing but _plan_ for Konoha's future.

The Organization was formed by herself and The Council, to combat the city's greatest, underground threat: The Foundation. Under the guise of Konoha Military's Head of Forensics, it was her _duty_ to ensure the safety of Konoha's people.

But now, one of her best assassins was missing, and The Assignment, with its potential failure, now set the very future of Konoha at risk of utter _chaos_.

There was little time left to decide, but her mind had been made.

She tapped on her gold plated wrist watch, and fired off a brief message.

"Your partner's replacement is on the way."

"Hn." Tsunade released an amused chuckle. " _Ever the conversationalist._ " she thought.

On the outside, Sasuke slipped into his customary mask of indifference. The young Uchiha had emotion seldom on display. There was no need for emotions. That was Naruto's specialty.

But, on the inside, he was worried. The preparation that went into The Assignment had taken _years_ of research, requiring the resources of every operative. Pain, torture, and _sacrifice_ were requisite to The Organization's success. The risk of losing out on their chance to eliminate 2 major threats, far outweighed the consequence of sending in a last minute operative, and Tsunade was no fool. The Assignment _needed_ to move forward. _No matter the cost._

The two remained unspeaking, each silently calculating the ever changing odds. The temptation to demand the replacement's name sat bitterly on the tip of his tongue-but there was no question who it would be. There was only one other operative qualified for the task ahead. And he-Sasuke tensed.

"Lady Tsunade!" a shrill, desperate, _feminine_ cry erupted from behind the raven haired man. Explosives? In half a second, his guard was up. His cloaked dagger, Kusanagi, erupted into flame. Without needing to turn around, Kusanagi tore through the air, at the intruders throat-intent on silencing the threat before any harm could befall The Director.

He heard his dagger connect with flesh, as he turned to face the enemy.

His vision was met with a flurry of colors, and an _ungodly_ amount of pink.

_Pink._

* * *

_10 seconds earlier:_

Leather combat boots pounded furiously up the 99th staircase-her gloved hands shooting out to grasp the metal railings, helping to propel the rosette quickly up the stairs.

_02:59:50_

Tsunade had failed to register her identity into the Green Book, which would grant her access to bypass the 102 security check points leading up to her office. She was left with no other choice.

_10 seconds._

Her legs were on _fire._ No-her entire _being_ was on fire. 8 years of physical conditioning did nothing to save her. Her eyes darted to the neon yellow sign: 100.

_8 seconds._

Her left calf muscle cramped, and sent an unpleasant wave of discomfort through her leg. Sakura bit back a whimper. Neon yellow flashed in her peripheral: 101.

_5 seconds._

She began seeing stars. Sprinting up 102 flights of stairs was...a first for the pinkette. She was sweating like a pig, but appearances be damned. She would _not_ be late. Her stomach lurched at this sight of the 102nd floor.

_3 seconds._

This was it. She urged the last vestiges of energy into the soles of her boots, and exploded into a mad dash to the end of the hall. Thank _kami_ she skipped breakfast. The contents of which were sure to decorate the hallway leading to The Director's office.

_1 second._

She drew back her gloved fist, and with the momentum of a _thousand_ elephants, shattered the door to Tsunade's office.

" _Lady Tsunade!"_

* * *

**Authors Note:**

As you can probably guess, Sasuke and Sakura will be meeting in the next chapter. I sincerely hope you're all enjoying the plot thus far. Let me know of any questions so I may clarify! If you wish to follow this story, I'm hoping to update at least once a week. This is my very first story, and I have so many ideas that sometimes, I can't even write!

Thanks for reading, and for any constructive feedback.~


	3. April Fools

**Ch 3: April Fools**

_0300: The Director’s Office_

  
  


Sasuke spun on his heel, and blinked. Again, and again. His mask held fast, but his eyes had widened just a fraction.

It was...a joke, at best. Some sweat-drenched, red-faced, _pink_ haired lunatic, managed to barrel her way into The Director’s office. Did this _freak_ really bypass security? He needed to end the life of the pitiful creature before it could attack.

The Uchiha catalogued every employees’ face. His photographic memory was faultless. And not once had he seen _pink_ . This _thing_ was a threat. He took half a step--

\--A blur of blonde rushed from behind Sasuke. And in one blink, the _thing_ was doubled over in pain, clutching at her stomach. Tsunade’s punch had Sakura seeing stars for the second time this morning.

“Ghhh--” Sakura choked on her pitiful attempt at breathing. “Wha-” saliva was dripping from her chin as she collapsed, unceremoniously, onto the hard concrete floor. In an instant, her right hand exploded in pain.

_Burning._ Something was _burning._ Sakura looked down and released the fiery projectile. When she had crashed into the office, It had taken her 0.2 seconds to react to the incoming threat. Her defensive training kicked in without thought, Sakura had managed to catch Kusanagi before piercing the base of her throat. But, Tsunade landed her punch in less than a second after her catch.

The pinkette had seen the woman rush pass the tall, imposing man, but after her sprinting fiasco, there was little energy left to block the incoming attack. She knew she was screwed.

Strong hands fisted the collar of her trenchcoat, as she was violently hauled to her feet.

“That’s _Director_ , to you, _Haruno.”_ she spat. 

Emerald eyes widened. 

Of course, how could she be so stupid? This was not Lady Tsunade-- the woman who’d given her another chance at life. No. This was The Director. The highly revered, fearsome, and dedicated leader of The Organization. 

“My sincerest apologies, Director. P-please f-forgive my disrespect.” she stammered out. Sakura straightened herself and stood to attention, desperately ignoring the burning in her hand. Her eyes twitched as she reigned in the tears that threatened to spill over.

She wanted to vomit, or pass out. Possibly both. Her legs still trembled from the earlier sprint, and the pink head could only pray that her training would keep her standing upright. She was beyond embarrassed. 

“H-haruno Sakura, reporting for duty.” her voice still shaky with exhaustion.

-

-

-

_Click_

Sasuke was not the number one assassin by luck. He’d aced the entrance exam, a feat that no one had yet to manage. He was the pride of the Uchiha, and all senses pointed him to one conclusion.

“I refuse.” he stated, as he retrieved Kusanagi from beneath the _freak’s_ foot. 

Standing up, he glowered down at the young girl, his contemptuous stare daring her to challenge his unspoken accusations.

_Pathetic._ He mused. 

Her head stopped at the top of his collarbone, her tiny frame overshadowed by his. Obsidian daggers calmly trailed from her boots, sweeping up to rest on her _unsightly_ face. Bloodshot eyes sat, cocooned by purple bags. Glittery, blue particles framed her glassy _too_ green, orbs. 

Too much color…

Pink tendrils of hair clung damply to her forehead; beads of sweat capturing the smaller flyaways at the nape of her neck. Closer inspection revealed a black, crusty substance under her wispy, pastel pink lashes. So it _is_ natural, he noted, cataloging the face of the rosette.

His cold eyes trailed mercilessly down her face, continuing its silent inspection. Tiny beads of sweat nestled on the peach fuzz on her upper lip. A droplet of saliva inching slowly down her chin. The girl had been fighting desperately to hide her panting; fighting, and _losing_. 

Sasuke’s eyes _never_ failed him. The smallest details lay bare for picking, with everything he saw being captured forever in his photographic memory. _No_ detail escaped unnoticed.

Like how the young girl caught Kusanagi in a fraction of a second with her dominant _,_ right hand--thus highlighting her lightning fast reflexes. Or how her left eyebrow would tick as she tried, no doubt, to shrink back from his gaze. She was _easy,_ he surmised--an open book. 

-

-

-

Sakura unconsciously shrank as the raven haired stranger stood to meet her eyes. Vivid green locked onto onyx; in an instant, her senses went into overdrive--this man was danger incarnate. 

And his eyes, oh _kami,_ they were unyielding in it’s assault. She needed oxygen. _Fast._

Something inside was _begging_ her to look away. But the pleas went unanswered as her eyes swept down to his tall nose and thin lips, resting on his chiseled jaw and immaculate, alabaster skin; her stomach was in knots.

It was unreal, truly, how _handsome_ this terror of a man looked. It was _too easy_ to lose herself in the depths of his cool, unwavering gaze. Thin coal brows arched in reproach--his left eye lay cloaked behind silky raven locks. But there was something about his face, something young and _boyish_ that had the knots tightening. 

She swallowed a gulp, and willed her breathing to stabilize. His aura was...suffocating. 

“Uchiha, one more word and I’ll have your name in the Bingo Book.” Tsunade’s deadly glare left no room for questions. Turning, the blonde walked gracefully to her plush leather chair, reclining back. Her black stilettos slammed loudly onto her once pristine, marble desk, a defeated sigh escaping her lips.

It was shocking that the fate of an entire city could rest upon the shoulders of the two young faces before her. But this was The Organization, and it showed no mercy. Children had begun training as early as 8, with no time to enjoy a _normal_ childhood. Speaking of time…she stood, her fingertips splaying across the _cool_ marble, a sobering reminder of the task ahead. She continued--

“Haruno Sakura, as Director of The Organization, and with the authority granted to me by The Council, I hereby declare your immediate promotion to skilled _assassin_. Your training has concluded.” Hard amber softened, and met with teary emerald. Tsunade shifted her eyes to regard Sasuke, and continued.

“Uchiha Sasuke, as Captain, the success of The Assignment is paramount, taking priority over anything and _anyone._ Failure is not an option. You are to accept these terms. Departure is set for 03:15 at helipad A3.” the tiniest hint of indecision plaguing her final word. “ _Dismissed.”_

-

-

-

In the blink of an eye, the two were gone. Leaving Tsunade in her _too_ large, _too_ empty, office.

* * *

The two operatives had scarcely 30 seconds to reach the helipad. Luckily they were only 1 floor down. 

Sakura followed quietly behind the Uchiha, her thoughts a _glorious_ mess _._ She was no longer in training, and now she was off to Kumo on an assignment with _the_ Uchiha Sasuke. 

She trailed two paces behind as they ascended the last flight of _god forsaken_ stairs. Her calve had seized exactly 6 seconds ago, but there was no way in _hell_ she’d let the Uchiha know. 

And to her dismay, Sakura was _staring_. From behind, because she certainly didn’t have the gall to stare with him knowing, she took in his lean, muscular build. The taut muscles of his back rippled through his crisp white collared top with each swing of his arm, sending a familiar pang of _something_ through her chest. His jet black work trousers were creaseless--the expensive material hugging _all_ the right places. 

She scoffed, inwardly, at her childish ogling. She dropped her gaze.

Tucked under his left arm was a wool, navy blue coat--black leather combat boots padded up the stairs in complete silence. His spikey locks were tinted a curious shade of midnight blue. _A trick of the light,_ she thought. Her eyes watered as she raised her right hand to stifle a yawn. 

Her hand made rough contact with her face as her body slammed into a wall. She winced, groaning aloud. “What in the wor--” she was stopped short by a murderous glare. _For fucks sake,_ she hadn’t been paying attention.

The rosette quickly peeled herself off her captain’s back--admittedly missing the momentary warmth it had afforded. “I’m so--”

“-- _Don’t get in my way._ ”

He had turned around to face her, hard onyx drilling into green eyes that didn’t _dare_ stare back. She kept her head down, not trusting herself to _not_ lay out her captain in the stairwell at HQ. Any other man would be in a casket by now, she thought, bitterly. She dug her nails into the inside of her left hand, a habit she’d picked up from her years of training with Tsunade, and tried her damnedest to calm her surging temper. 

An earsplitting bang echoed through the stairwell, assaulting her migraine. She looked up in shock to see that the Uchiha had reached the exit, and had slammed the door behind him, leaving her to pry open the 400lb solid, steel exit door. 

She fixed her gaze on the door, and with all her remaining strength, she _kicked._

The Uchiha was seated directly behind the pilot, a low class, middle aged operative who went by the name Teuchi. The brown haired man had been Sasuke's flight instructor some time ago. Sasuke nodded to the man in acknowledgement--Teuchi returning the gesture with a nod of his own.

He sat calmly, with his arms folded and legs crossed--waiting for the pink headed girl to exit the stairwell. 

This girl had been _in training_ , and was being sent on her first ever assignment--S-Rank. Was Tsunade losing her mind? He could hardly believe the scene as it unfolded moments ago, but The Director _had_ to have a solid reason to assign her. She knew all too well the importance of The Assignment. And so, he begrudgingly surrendered his judgement of the young girl. Sasuke, the most experienced operative, and captain to the number one team in The Organization, knew that lack of trust and poor communication were a harbinger of _failure._

And Sasuke _never_ failed.


	4. Partners

**Ch 4: Partners**

_04:15. Inside the Helicopter_

It had been a little over an hour since boarding the helicopter. She sat to his right, her left thigh barely grazing his. It took every ounce of willpower to not melt into the heat he was radiating. Her wool sweater and coat was doing little to stave off the chilly winter air.

She spared a side glance at her captain, who sat perfectly still with his arms crossed-a statue of _calm_ perfection. He'd said not _one_ word during the flight.

Admittedly, she could have just _asked_ him for the assignment briefing, but firmly decided against it, unwilling to face his piercing stare, as he surely would have if he was forced to talk to someone so _beneath_ him. How in _kami's_ name was The Assignment to be a success if the man refused to communicate? This was _beyond_ ridiculous.

She huffed in silent protest, tapping the center of her left palm with her ring finger. Katsuyu flickered to life. "Assignment Brief: Kumo" she quietly demanded. Her eyes landed on the brief's title: " _Target A: Uchiha Shisui'_ and her heart stopped. She blinked, once, twice. " _Impossible_ ," she thought; her eyes followed every word.

She began reading as Katsuyu morphed into page after page of classified files-6 to be exact.

But nothing was making sense. The intel was vague, and outlined the bare minimum.

" _6 pages of absolute garbage_ ," she thought. All she'd learned was that this Uchiha Shisui was listed as an ex-assassin, and an immediate threat to the city of Konoha. She bit down on her bottom lip in frustration, brows scrunching in confusion.

Her head swirled with more questions: Who exactly was Shisui? Why was an Uchiha the target of an assassination? What were his skills, his motive? Did her captain know this guy? Why had Tsunade sent Sasuke to eliminate his own family? _Family_.

_Click_

She released a shaky breath, and clenched her fist- _how could she forget?_

* * *

_6 Years Ago; Konoha General Hospital (KGH)_

" _Take me to OR 1, now!" Tsunade's commanding voice boomed over the chaos in the Emergency Room. Her amber eyes held no mercy, and landed on a mousey, pale faced nurse whose clipboard shook with nerves. Tsunade eyed the clipboard and approached the trembling nurse._

" _I said, now." her command leaving no room for argument. The veteran nurse patted the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. The other nurses stood nearby in muted horror-they'd heard stories, gossip, even, about the blonde woman._

_Apparently she had turned down the nomination from President Hashirama Senju, for the Director of the National Intelligence Agency, choosing instead to work as the Head of Forensics for Konoha's military. She was formidable in her takeover as the new department head-having gutted the failing infrastructure and replacing it with a new specialized team of forensic researchers and investigators. In less than 6 months she had swiftly put an end to the Akatsuki, a terror organization with criminal roots in all 4 neighboring cities._

_Achievements aside, the uproar over her blatant disrespect for her initial nomination as Director of the NIA had been instant, with the public denouncing her as the spoiled granddaughter. It was public knowledge that the Director of National Intelligence held more clearance and prestige over Forensics, so her actions were puzzling, sparking even more controversy over her decision._

" _I-I'm terribly sorry Director Senju, but I cannot allow you access. We are under strict orders from-" her eyes shifted to the white floor tiles, not daring to meet the blonde's sharp eyes, "-from up top. Please accept my sincerest apologies." she sputtered out._

_Tsunade smiled and placed her left hand lightly on the nurse's tense shoulder, her ruby nails drummed innocently against the woman's shoulder "Apology accepted."_

_With a wicked smirk, Tsunade snatched the clipboard and brushed past the nurses station, not once looking back. They stared on in disbelief at her disregard of protocol. Perhaps the rumors and gossip were true._

_Tsunade's eyes quickly scanned through the patient files, noting the condition of her 3 veteran assassins. One had been resuscitated twice, with the other two sustaining heavy internal bleeding. She continued flipping through the files while making her way to the operating room. She probably had about 2 minutes and 15 seconds before the higher ups caught wind of her mettling and sent for backup. But she needed to make sure her operatives were alive-she needed more information on what went wrong. Someone had tried to eliminate her 2 strongest teams yet, and had almost succeeded._

_Tsunade reached into her left coat pocket and pulled out an ID badge she had managed to swipe from the babbling nurse. She gave a heartless chuckle and swiped the badge across the scanner. A high pitched beep sounded, and the metal doors glided open revealing 3 surgeons performing an EDT on a female assassin in her late 40's. To her left was her operative's husband, who lay unresponsive and abandoned by the medical team. To her right was The Organization's number 2 assassin. Bloodied gauze was wrapped around his eyes, but he looked the most stable of the trio._

_Tsunade stood, terrified at just how bad the scene was. There was blood everywhere. Too much of it. Her left knee buckled as she tried to steady her breathing. Someone was shouting at her, but she paid no mind. She quickly darted over to her bandaged operative._

" _Itachi. Report." she commanded, silently._

_Her heart thundered in her chest. She had never seen him injured-ever. But, her command fell on deaf ears, and she was just about to turn around when his hand shot out. He grabbed her coat nearly tearing it-his grip unyielding. She looked at his bandaged eyes, not at all prepared for his display of strength in his state._

_His breathing came out labored, his plea, desperate. "It was Shisui," he whispered, his grip tightening. "Please. Save….my family."_

_It was all Tsunade could do not to break down. The betrayal was so...unexpected. The Uchihas were The Organization's strongest weapon. Their aptitude for stealth and combat was unparalleled. For Shisui, her number 1 operative, to aid in such a...heinous crime, meant that there was something even bigger brewing under Konoha's surface-perhaps a larger threat than the Akatsuki had been._

_Was Shisui a spy? For how long? Was his true intention to wipe out The Uchihas to weaken The Organization? Who was he working for? She felt Itachi's grip fall as he lost consciousness._

" _Attention: Code Gray."_

_Tsunade cursed the timing. She quickly placed Itachi's hand back onto the bed-and gave one last glance over her shoulder to her remaining operatives before disappearing._

_-_

_-_

_Sakura waited impatiently in the blacked out SUV, her foot tapping into the carpeted floor. She caught sight of her teacher's flowing blonde hair and rushed to open the passenger door. She noted a bloody handprint on her green coat-her brows raised in concern._

" _Lady Ts-" Tsunade cut her off with a wave of her hand. Sakura nodded, and remained silent. It was unlike Tsunade to brush her off, so whoever she had seen at the hospital, must have been important, she pondered._

_Tsunade tapped on her gold watch. "Shizune, prepare the boardroom for my return at 0500. I want every operative present.-" she took a deep, steadying breath, "-Uchiha Shisui is to be charged in attempting to assassinate Uchiha Itachi of Team 11, and Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto of Team 2. I will not tolerate tardiness. Pass that along," she tapped abruptly to end the call, not bothering to let Shizune speak._

_Sakura remained focused on the road ahead as the driver, a young, low ranking assistant, sped back to HQ, no doubt terrified of arriving late._

" _Uchiha?-" she wondered. The name sounded familiar. She was sure Tsunade had mentioned that surname before during one of her sparring sessions. Something about how Sakura had impeccable control of her energy and stamina, more so than any of the Uchihas. It was certainly a proud moment, especially since Tsunade never handed out compliments-one had to be truly worthy of her praise. Although she'd yet to meet an Uchiha, or any operative for that matter, she could only imagine how strong they were if she herself was being compared._

_Sakura's eyes began to drift shut as the steady hum of the engine lulled her into a dreamless sleep. Her last thoughts were of her own broken family, and how painful it had been to lose her very own parents. She prayed that the Uchihas would recover._

* * *

Sakura tapped her middle finger to her palm to release Katsuyu. She glanced at her Captain through wide eyes. Now she understood.

But what could she say? Tsunade was sending her number 1 operative to assassinate his family member who had supposedly betrayed The Organization, and had attempted to murder his _own_ kin. This _had_ to explain his behavior. She couldn't imagine having to kill her own family, no matter what crime they stood accused of. But now she sat, with more questions than before.

She gulped, her throat suddenly dry.

"Hey Sas-Captain-" she corrected, "is Shisui...your brother? The intel doesn't leave me much to go off of, and I really don't know anything about you or your family. As your teammate I have a right to know if your familial ties will be cause for complication. I am in no way doubting The Director's judgement, but-"

She continued, keeping her eyes focused on the hem of her sleeves, "-I cannot risk failure. This is my first assignment and if need be, I will volunteer to take out the target myself. I know we've scarcely had time for introductions, but for 6 years, I've been trained in combat, espionage, and reconnaissance by Tsunade herself. I also placed 2nd in all four written entrance exams. I've completed weapons training and specialize in data analysis." She took a deep breath, somewhat surprised that she could keep her voice from cracking.

It was silly, but she couldn't shake the feeling that her skills and training had _nothing_ on the man sitting next to her. But if there was anything Tsunade had taught her, it was the importance of self confidence-she _was_ her apprentice afterall. To belittle her own accomplishments would be a direct insult to Tsunade. And heaven forbid.

"Captain, you can count on me to do my absolute best. I will _not_ let us fail."

Sakura shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with the sudden silence. It's not like she was expecting a response, but good _grief,_ the man could at least mutter an "okay" or something. After a few more seconds of silence, she chanced a glance at her Captain.

Her breath left her as Onyx stared back, unimpressed, and emotionless. She could feel the heat creeping onto her cheeks.

It was infuriating, really, that one look from this man reduced her to an anxious, bumbling _wreck_. She balled her fists in her leather trenchcoat, and bit the inside of her right cheek. She had trained for 6 years; dutifully following Tsunade's unforgiving physical training, but above all, mastering the control of her raging _emotions_. She'd lost track of the countless times Tsunade had punished her for not keeping her personal feelings and emotions, in check. This was her first assignment-the first sign that Tsunade _finally_ had confidence in her abilities.

She placed a hand over her chest, and inhaled slowly, releasing her budding anger and anxiety with one breath. Tsunade had hand picked her for this assignment-she would _not_ let her down.

Her eyes returned to the Uchiha, and she sat a little taller. "Look, I'm assuming you're not _thrilled-"_ she bit out, icily, " _-_ to have a newly promoted assassin as your teammate-I get it. You do not have to like me, but I would appreciate it if we could _both_ set aside our prejudice until this assignment is over. I respect you as my Captain, and will lend you my support to see this through _without fail."_

She closed her eyes and let her head lean into the stiff headrest-not at all expecting a reply at this point. But she was proud. Tsunade's training was paying off already. She'd managed not to blast her captain in the face earlier, and to quell her bubbling temper.

Sakura smiled, and gave a soft chuckle. " _I will make you proud, Lady Tsunade."_ She let sleep succumb her for the last 10 minutes of the journey to Kumo.

Sasuke sat in comfortable silence following the rosette's speech. He turned to look at her, to find her nodding off. He decided he liked his subordinate better when she was quiet. He took in her words from earlier, noting her slip up in addressing The Director by her name. This was the second time today. He also recalled her claiming to have 6 years of training, and as having taken the entrance exams. But, they were roughly the same age, he gathered, from her mannerisms and vocabulary, so why hadn't he seen her at HQ until today? It was impossible for The Director to take an apprentice, secretly, and to keep the training under wraps for 6 years. If she _did_ , then that was cause for alarm. " _How many others are there,"_ he wondered.

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. _Who_ exactly was this girl, and _what_ was The Director's plans for sending this unknown assassin on The Organization's key assignment.

Sasuke's eyes travelled down to her wrist, taking note of her watch, his suspicions growing by the second. " _And this girl has Katsuyu."_ He indexed the information for later investigation. Katsuyu was developed by The Organization's shady, lead researcher-Kabuto. Apparently, Katsuyu was the first and _only_ successful AI project that was developed _specifically_ for The Director. For his subordinate to have access and complete control over Katsuyu, meant there was a whole lot more to the girl than was let on.

His gloved hands pinched the bridge of his nose-the migraine he'd been ignoring beginning its relentless assault. Seconds later, Taeuchi announced the approaching landing-he carefully slipped into his usual mask, obsidian eyes hardening to steel, his mind, clear and focused. For once, he began an assignment not entirely sure of its success-and he'd be loath to admit, but he was slightly anxious.

Sasuke made to wake his teammate, but her eyes snapped open as his hand hovered just above her shoulder-ready to nudge her. He took in the bags under her eyes but for a fraction of a second, he was caught in her piercing, emerald gaze. She looked worse for wear, but her _too_ green, _too_ large, _eyes_ were sharp and awake. He brought his hand back to rest in his warm coat pocket, somewhat satisfied that her senses were still on alert even whilst she slept.

Taeuchi landed the aircraft on the northeast border of Konoha and Kumo. She and Sasuke had both seen the onset of the blizzard from 35 miles out, and since flying was clearly out of the picture, both were prepared for the 8 mile trek to the rendezvous.

Sasuke exited his side of the helicopter first, his eyes burning from the fresh waves of frigid air from the rotors.

Sakura was just about to open her door, but she turned to see it had been pried open with a gloved palm reaching out to her. She locked eyes with Sasuke and for a moment, forgot about the freezing air tickling her exposed face.

His jet black hair whipped wildly around his face, his expression cool and composed as he stood with his palm reaching out to her, and the other in his pocket.

Sasuke stood, waiting impatiently for the girl to take his hand, for his mother raised no fool. He could see in her eyes that the gesture had her on edge.

Sighing in agitation, Sasuke nudged his hand closer to her-his intentions clear. He watched as she chewed on her bottom lip and tentatively slipped her tiny hand into his.

Sakura winced at his grip-surprised at his strength. The knot from earlier made itself known as he gently offered his assistance during her descent onto the slippery gravel.

She landed silently in front of him, and he was reminded of just how small his subordinate was, her tiny frame dwarfed once again by his shadow. Her ponytail had come loose, letting a few strands whip frantically around her face. Her rouged cheeks betraying her less than calm facade.

He was sure she was surprised by his sudden change in demeanor, but as captain, he _needed_ her to trust him-to obey his commands without question.

He unlocked their hands and signaled to Taeuchi. With a nod, he took off into the early morning, back to Konoha-to safety.

* * *

**Authors Note:** Okay, so I'm sure there are tons of questions about the setting of this fic, among other things. So I'll put my mindreading to the test and offer some answers/clues/insight/whathaveyou.

The fic is a cross between real life scenarios/organizations, and made up ones. I didn't want this to be an obvious FBI, or Police/Secret Agent fic. So I'm toying with name changes like the NIA instead of the NSA, and I'd like to refer to missions as assignments, instead. In my world, the assassins are never sent on missions, but rather, _assigned_ to complete certain tasks/assassinations.

This could be considered modern day/sliiightly futuristic since we have holograms and AI, but futuristic really is a stretch I guess.

Oh, surprise! Itachi is going to be a good guy (or not?) in this fic. Bet yaal weren't expecting for Shisui to be the traitor huh? Muahaha. Idk, I guess I just got tired of seeing Itachi as the bad guy. Buuuut we'll see?

I've been working a lot lately, so I'm praying to the Gods that there are no plot holes thus far.

Any other questions you guys have feel free to comment or PM me. There are some things I won't be revealing till later, so please be patient :)


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